Long rest where you are or leave

[Whit]

A long rest is 8 hrs uninterrupted once in a 24 hr period.

If your in a dungeon, sewers, abandoned castle, etc type terrain do you long rest there at a safe point. Or leave and come back.

I would like opinions
1. You rest there. Random encounter? Whatever else is in the location heard the fighting and come or waiting for you.
2. You leave and return. Random ecounters filled up previous locations. Whatever else nearby heard fighting and now wait for yiur return

[Armored Walrus]

Either works just fine. Do you have a preference over what type of behavior you'd rather see in your campaign? Massage your rules to incentivize that behavior.

[Greywander]

Letting the players have a rest with no consequences isn't always the wrong answer. Think about the type of dungeon you're dealing with. Is it occupied by an organized faction, or are random monsters just living there? Is the faction aware of the players' presence? Do they change shifts or send out patrols to the locations that the PCs have cleared out?

Just think for a moment about who lives in your dungeon and ask yourself what they would likely be doing over the next 8 hours. Make sure to communicate to your players enough information so that they know whether or not it would be safe to rest in the dungeon.

If the players are taking too many rests, throw them in a situation where their enemies use that time to set up additional defenses, and make sure the players know it's their fault for resting. At the same time, make sure you balance fights properly so that they don't need to rest until it's safe. You can hardly blame them for resting when they're half dead and out of resources. If something is legitimately not the player's fault, give them some kind of out, even something as simple as adding an extra healing potion to the treasure chest. Remember, it's not Player vs. DM, and while tough challenges can be fun, the killer DM usually is not.

[MaxWilson]

A long rest is 8 hrs uninterrupted once in a 24 hr period.

If your in a dungeon, sewers, abandoned castle, etc type terrain do you long rest there at a safe point. Or leave and come back.

I would like opinions
1. You rest there. Random encounter? Whatever else is in the location heard the fighting and come or waiting for you.
2. You leave and return. Random ecounters filled up previous locations. Whatever else nearby heard fighting and now wait for yiur return

In practice, a long rest under dungeoneering conditions will usually be close to a 24 hour delay anyway, because under Xanathar's rules you have to take a long rest every day or make an exhaustion check. So a long rest pretty much equates to "go to sleep and then wake up at about the same time you woke up this morning", and unless your sewage exploration lasted all day (using up multiple Mage Armors/Foresights/whatnot) that will probably take closer to 12-16 hours than 8 hours.

Hanging out for nearly 24 hours in the sewers/dungeons/etc. only makes sense if you're planning on spending days or weeks in the sewers/dungeons/etc., i.e. if you're exploring a megadungeon. For any more reasonable-sized dungeon you should probably just leave and come back, unless there's some reason you can't, such as being pinned in place by an enemy force which occupies the exits.

[Kibry]

In my experience it depends on where you are(middle of town, near town, middle of nowhere?), why you're exploring the dungeon(were you hired, or just for fun?) and the level of the party.

Personally, I play a Bard and whenever we need a long rest I just cast Leomund's Tiny Hut and be done with it. Rest in the dungeon. Although you only get access to 3rd level spells at around 5th level.

[Atalas]

in one of the campaigns I'm in, twice we've had a long rest during a dungeon crawl, one of which was in Undermountain. All thanks to Leomund's Tiny Hut. We play online, over discord, using roll20 for our maps and such. During each long rest, we have heard our DM rolling physical dice to determine encounters. during the non-Undermountain rest, black puddings fell down through the hole we'd just gone down and tried to get us, but could not penetrate the hut. We had one person on watch, our Rogue, and our paladin, an elf, was able to move to the right position to activate Sneak Attack for the Rogue to just poke the pudding through the barrier.

[Temperjoke]

I think a lot of it depends on the circumstances. For example, if you're talking a dungeon that's actually the size of a city, with a diverse population, then the odds of having a successful long rest without are higher than they would be in dungeon that was the fortified base of a cult or a clan. A single group is going to be on guard for the whole area, while a place with various groups are all going to be watching their own turf and may not care if another group gets wiped out. Something else to consider, how long did it take the party to get that far and how long would it take to leave? If it took your group 8 hours to get that far from the last safe campsite you had, you're just going to have to repeat all that travel if you try to leave and come back. On the other hand, if you have a secure site that's only an hour or half-hour away from your location, then it makes sense to go there for your rest.

[MaxWilson]

Personally, I play a Bard and whenever we need a long rest I just cast Leomund's Tiny Hut and be done with it. Rest in the dungeon. Although you only get access to 3rd level spells at around 5th level.

...assuming your DM treats Leomund's Tiny Hut as invulnerable. Unlike Wall of Force, Leomund's Tiny Hut has no verbiage saying it's immune to harm, merely that objects can't pass through it. Objects can't pass through a genuine wooden hut either, but that doesn't mean the hut can be destroyed, and both the history of Leomund's Tiny Hut (it was originally just a weather shelter) and the fact that it's a low-level (3rd) spell which doesn't even cost spell slots suggest that it's supposed to be LESS powerful than Wall of Force, not more powerful.

Just... test your assumptions first, that's all. Spend a few minutes before entering the dungeon beating on a Tiny Hut with a GWM greataxe or something and see if it can be damaged.

(Also, watch out for Purple Worms and Umber Hulks and Earth Elementals and other things that can burrow.)

[Ganymede]

Please do not try to take a long rest in the Amber Temple, especially when you've already been there and know there's a flying invisible jackal man who knows you're there.

[Vingelot]

I also agree that it depends on the circumstances. Enemies that are intelligent and organised (and know you're there) might set up additional defences or ambush you (preferably before the rest is complete). Wild animals might flee the area where their kin were killed, as they might instinctively rate it as dangerous. Organised enemies that are unaware of your presence will go about their business normally, with whatever results this might produce: Maybe they will patrol the area and discover you, maybe they will do nothing special, or if they were on the move, they might even leave the area.

I think this also encourages the players to think about the world and its denizens, rather than just mechanically labouring through it.

[Chugger]

...assuming your DM treats Leomund's Tiny Hut as invulnerable. Unlike Wall of Force, Leomund's Tiny Hut has no verbiage saying it's immune to harm, merely that objects can't pass through it. Objects can't pass through a genuine wooden hut either, but that doesn't mean the hut can be destroyed, and both the history of Leomund's Tiny Hut (it was originally just a weather shelter) and the fact that it's a low-level (3rd) spell which doesn't even cost spell slots suggest that it's supposed to be LESS powerful than Wall of Force, not more powerful.

Just... test your assumptions first, that's all. Spend a few minutes before entering the dungeon beating on a Tiny Hut with a GWM greataxe or something and see if it can be damaged.

(Also, watch out for Purple Worms and Umber Hulks and Earth Elementals and other things that can burrow.)

Look, the hut is visible. If monsters find it and recognize it for what it is - or are suspicious of it - they can set up an ambush and wait. They might get bored and wander off. Eight hours is a long time. Or they might hang on and attack when the party comes out. The party may or may not see them from inside the hut (I think it has visibility through it's door).

Sure you can weaken the hut, or slap on a time-restriction where a long rest = the princess gets sacrificed you fail. There are so many other ways to stop a long rest than nerfing the hut - and in many cases if they long rest because they got badly hurt, let em - and the next encounter, which you'd designed based on the premise that they'd come into it hurt and low on slots - make it much harder if they got a rest.

Learn to think laterally, outside the box - you have so many more options than taking away the hut - and if you rule that the hut is worthless, at least let the player who took it have an option of a free spell exchange. Don't be that big a jerk and deny him that (in other words if you nerf a spell, let him exchange it, esp if he's a bard)!

[MaxWilson]

Look, the hut is visible. If monsters find it and recognize it for what it is - or are suspicious of it - they can set up an ambush and wait. They might get bored and wander off. Eight hours is a long time. Or they might hang on and attack when the party comes out. The party may or may not see them from inside the hut (I think it has visibility through it's door).

Sure you can weaken the hut, or slap on a time-restriction where a long rest = the princess gets sacrificed you fail. There are so many other ways to stop a long rest than nerfing the hut - and in many cases if they long rest because they got badly hurt, let em - and the next encounter, which you'd designed based on the premise that they'd come into it hurt and low on slots - make it much harder if they got a rest.

Learn to think laterally, outside the box - you have so many more options than taking away the hut - and if you rule that the hut is worthless, at least let the player who took it have an option of a free spell exchange. Don't be that big a jerk and deny him that (in other words if you nerf a spell, let him exchange it, esp if he's a bard)!

Sure, even an invulnerable hut can be beat. But it's not clear that letting the hut be, well, a hut, is a "nerf" in the first place. Whereas Wall of Force at 5th level explicitly says, "Nothing can physically pass through the wall. It is immune to all damage and can't be dispelled by Dispel Magic," Leomund's Tiny Hut says no such thing, only that, "Creatures and Objects within the dome when you cast this spell can move through it freely. All other creatures and Objects are barred from passing through it. Spells and other magical effects can't extend through the dome or be cast through it." all of which are true in 5E for any kind of total cover.

All I'm saying is that before you assume that a given DM is going to make Leomund's Tiny Hut behave like Leomund's Tiny Invulnerable Fortress, you should probably check that assumption, because there's nothing in the spell that ought to make a DM think it's invulnerable, and every reason (based on the spell's genesis in AD&D) to think that it's simply a comfortable, portable hut:


This spell enables the wizard to magically call into being a sturdy cottage or lodge, made of material that is common in the area where the spell is cast--stone, timber, or (at worst) sod. The floor area of the lodging is 30 square feet per level of the spellcaster, and the surface is level, clean, and dry. In all respects the lodging resembles a normal cottage, with a sturdy door, two or more shuttered windows, and a small fireplace.

While the lodging is secure against winds of up to 70 miles per hour, it has no heating or cooling source (other than natural insulation qualities). Therefore, it must be heated as a normal dwelling, and extreme heat adversely affects it and its occupants. The dwelling does, however, provide considerable security otherwise, as it is as strong as a normal stone building, regardless of its material composition. The dwelling resists flames and fire as if it were stone, and is impervious to normal missiles (but not the sort cast by siege machinery or giants).

The door, shutters, and even chimney are secure against intrusion, the former two being wizard locked and the latter being secured by a top grate of iron and a narrow flue. In addition, these three areas are protected by an alarm spell. Lastly, an unseen servant is conjured to provide service to the spellcaster.

The inside of the shelter contains rude furnishings as desired by the spellcaster--up to eight bunks, a trestle table and benches, as many as four chairs or eight stools, and a writing desk.

The material components of this spell are a square chip of stone, crushed lime, a few grains of sand, a sprinkling of water, and several splinters of wood. These must be augmented by the components of the alarm and unseen servant spells if these benefits are to be included (string and silver wire and a small bell).

In 5E you don't get bunks or a table or even shutters on your window, and in neither version does it explicitly say how much damage the shelter/hut would take before being destroyed--but neither version in any way implies either that the hut/shelter CANNOT be destroyed.

So, ask your DM. Don't just assume.

[TheYell]

All well and good, but, you have to invent a damage rating for the hut then. None is provided.

[Chugger]

All well and good, but, you have to invent a damage rating for the hut then. None is provided.

Exactly.

Why make a mountain of work and risk a p**pstorm with your players as you, yes, nerf the hut. Why do I insist you're nerfing it? Because it's been so far interpreted by most as pretty much invulnerable. Yes, you have reasons - Napoleon had reasons for invading Russia ---> reasons can fail you. All I'm saying is, just as Nappy didn't think through his invasion, you're not thinking through your nerfing - or if not a nerfing w/e it is - of the hut.

There are better ways of doing this.

[Smaje]

I would like to make a note about long rest. It's 8 hours of light activity including ~6 hours of sleep (4 for Elf). The light activity includes repairing armor and sharpening weapons. If you are in a bad environment like a sewer there could be consequences.
- your packs get soaked in sewer water wrecking the rations
- you attempt to sew a tear but since you can't find comfort you only make it worse

[MaxWilson]

All well and good, but, you have to invent a damage rating for the hut then. None is provided.

Which makes it exactly the same as every other hut, cottage, and castle in the game.

(And which in no way stops player characters from blowing up or burning down or smashing through them.)

[Sigreid]

On the original question, it depends on how well we think we can secure the resting area (including hiding).

On the hut, I'm fond of monsters playing Jenga and seeing how much heavy stuff they can stack on it before it collapses.

[napoleon_in_rag]

A long rest is 8 hrs uninterrupted once in a 24 hr period.

If your in a dungeon, sewers, abandoned castle, etc type terrain do you long rest there at a safe point. Or leave and come back.

I would like opinions
1. You rest there. Random encounter? Whatever else is in the location heard the fighting and come or waiting for you.
2. You leave and return. Random ecounters filled up previous locations. Whatever else nearby heard fighting and now wait for yiur return

I disagree with this but, according to Sage Advice, you can fight up to an hour before the Long Rest is broken. So where you rest doesn't matter as long as you can defeat any of the monsters on the random encounter list in 599 rounds or less. So rest for a few hours, kill the random monsters, then rest for the remaining time and get the benefit of a Long Rest. No reason to leave.

Leomund's Tiny Hut is a waste of a spell slot.

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/08/20/will-participating-in-1-round-of-combat-break-a-shortlong-rest/

[Sigreid]

I disagree with this but, according to Sage Advice, you can fight up to an hour before the Long Rest is broken. So where you rest doesn't matter as long as you can defeat any of the monsters on the random encounter list in 599 rounds or less. So rest for a few hours, kill the random monsters, then rest for the remaining time and get the benefit of a Long Rest. No reason to leave.

Leomund's Tiny Hut is a waste of a spell slot.

https://www.sageadvice.eu/2016/08/20/will-participating-in-1-round-of-combat-break-a-shortlong-rest/

LTH is a ritual. No spell slot needed.

[napoleon_in_rag]

LTH is a ritual. No spell slot needed.

Still counts against number of spells known.

[Sigreid]

Still counts against number of spells known.

No such thing for wizards. Granted that you may not prioritize it as a pick. But once it's in your book you may as well use it.

Also, properly positioned it can bar a door shut.